Omaha daily bee., 1887-01-18
Paddock and Van Wyck.

Washington Correspondence of the
Cleveland Leader: The Nebraska sena-
torial contest is a close one. There are
half dozen different candidates, and it
is Van Wyck against the field. The can
didate will be ceded by Nebraska to the
southern portion of the state, as Mander.
son comes from the northern portion.
Van Wyck's most prominent opponent at
present is Agernon S. Paddock, whom
he succeeded as United States senator,
Paddock lately resigned his place on tho
Utah commission to enter the senatorial
contest He will have the support of the
traders and bankers, while Van Wyck
will have the farmers and laboring men.
Paddock is now fifty-six years old. He
is q New Yorker and got his first political
training under William III. Seward.
He was one of Stewards supporters at
the Chicago convention of 1860, and for
his services there Seward got him his ap.
pomtment rs secretary of the Nebraska
territory in 1861. This Office he held for six
years and in 1874 or 1915 he became the
candidate for the United States senator
ship of Nebraska. l am told there were
u number of other aspirants, and that
Paddock got his election as compro-
mise candidate. 1t is probable that he
expects to slip in the same way this
time.
Van Wyck is a man with history, and
he is one of the characters of the United
States senate to-day. OF medium height,
he has stocky form which he dresses
in black broadcloth, and his general APP
pearance is that of u farmer in his Sun
day clothes There is nothing oStentc-
tious about him, and he moves among
the public men at Washington in the
same frank way that he does among his
constituents He has Il big, round head
and smoothly shaven face of dark COM
pleNion, high, broad forehead, and two
big eyes which are always dressed IN
pair of very large steel spectacles.
Through these Van Wyck keeps a close
watch upon legislation. He has studied
the railroad and land questions to such
an extent that he can detect job at
Il glance, and he poses here rs the foe
OF big corporations. He is hard
worker and is always found IN his seat.
When he speaks he tears the air rs bad
as Don NulXote's windmill and jumps
about the floor, requiring full ten square
yards of moving room. He is windmill
like, however, in his work as well as his
actions, and he pumps cold water con-
tinuously upon the monopolsts. lie is
highly respected at Washington, and his
fellow senators know that he is afraid of
uone of them. AT one time he made a
severe attack on Attorney General Brew
ster, which so incensed Don Cameron
that he came up TO HIM while he was
speaking on the floor of the senate and
shook his finger under Van Wyck nose,
saying: Don't you say that again, You
must not accuse the attorney general ot
dishonest practices. He never did dis
honest act in his life"
Van Wyck listened to the irate Cam
erOn with Pickwickian smile, and then
went on with his speech. He said he was
glad Cameron had defended the attorney
general; that the attorney general needed
defending, and that Cameron was the
most proper man to take his part. He
then made a more blisterng TRADE than
ever against Brewster, smiling the while
at Cameron and evidently undisturbed at
his anger.
Van Wych is now sixty-two years old.
He is n graduate of Rutgers college, and
he entered the army colonel and came
out brgadier general Coming back
from the war he was elected to congress
from New York, and served eight years
rs New York congressman before he
moved to Nebraska. In Nebraska he
bought large amount of land along
about 1874, and two years later
he had become a member of the
state senate of Nebraska, and at
the end of seven years he was a United
other spcculations have made him
wealthy. l don't know the sum total of
his fortune, but he has house here
winch is worth $500 or $4,000 at the
least and which ought to sell for SIS, ,OOO
1t is on the corner of Massachusetts av-
cnue and Thirteenth street, and 1t is lux
uriously furnished. Van Wyck here en-
He is hospitable fellow, and though he
does not pO wild over WaShinptOn so.